News

Runners, note to self: When crossing the street, watch out for cars making a left-hand turn. Drivers are 4 to 9 percent less likely to look for pedestrians when turning left, a new study conducted by Oregon and Portland State universities shows.

The problem intersections are those without a green-arrow light for left turns. The study, which simulated various driving situations, showed that people are more apt to accelerate quickly to take advantage of a break in traffic without noting whether runners or walkers are in the crosswalk.

While no stats exist specific to runners, a search conducted by Runner’s World in 2009 found that 20 runners had been killed by an automobile in the first 10 months of that year, and 40 lost their lives between 2004 and 2009.

You’ll find tips on how to avoid a collision with car in this article.